Nine pile dwellings are located on the shores of Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg. Nine more are listed in Upper Swabia, south of Augsburg and at Lake Starnberg. Together with 93 further sites in France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia, they represent an archaeological legacy that dates back almost 7,000 years.

Founded as Augusta Treverorum in 16 BC, Trier is Germany's oldest town and a true monument to history. Historical buildings of international standing, remarkable churches and magnificent Roman remains all make a visit to this romantic city on the Moselle an unforgettable experience.

For centuries, Weimar in Thuringia was at the centre of intellectual life in Germany: the city experienced its heyday in the early 19th century when it was home to no fewer than three of Europe's leading intellectuals – Goethe, Schiller and Herder. The Classical Weimar ensemble is testimony to the enlightened, courtly but also civic culture of the period around 1800.

The Margravial Opera House is regarded as a triumph of 18th century baroque theatre design. Visitors find the splendour of its interior simply awe-inspiring. The most beautiful baroque theatre remaining in Europe, it was built by Giuseppe Galli-Bibiena and his son Carlo, the most famous theatre architects of their day.

Even today, some 500 years after the Reformation and the beginning of the modern era, the atmosphere of those times can still be felt in Eisleben and Lutherstadt Wittenberg. This is where you'll find unique Luther memorial sites such as the house where the Church reformer was born, the house where he died, the monastery where he lived and the church to which he nailed his 95 theses.

The longest and one of the most impressive archaeological monuments in Europe, the Limes marks former Roman boundaries from the Rhine to the Danube over a distance of 550km. Around 2,000 years ago its forts, watchtowers, walls and palisades protected the mighty Roman Empire from the Barbarians.

The unique collection of galleries and museums on Berlin Museum Island, with its five temple-like buildings, houses treasures from 6,000 years of human history. Elevated to UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999, and located in Berlin's historical centre, the complex is the centrepiece of the city's museum network and is Europe's largest cultural investment project.

It is one of the most beautiful town halls in Germany: the magnificent facade is a textbook example of the Weser Renaissance architecture typical of northern Germany. Along with the Roland statue, the city's very own 'statue of liberty', it still stands as a reminder of the pride that the locals have for their city, their freedom and their sovereignty.